#pining msr

First of all, thank you for this ask, because I truly do love coming up with fic recs, and it's so flattering to be asked. This was fun, although I admit I also found it a little tricky, as the elements of (1) canon-compliant and (2) building on UST and (3) lots of yearning felt oddly difficult to piece together. So I think some of my recs really have 2 out of 3 of these elements. I felt like you might be asking for a nice LONG slow burn fic, but I found it hard to think of longer canon compliant slow burns. (Am I wrong? Am I just missing obvious fics? People can definitely tell me if I am wrong.)

Parts of your request made me think of things like Nuptiae Sub Rosa or All That is Dark and Bright -- both great fics -- but I didn’t include those because they either have way more RST (Nuptial Sub Rosa) or have way more divergent elements (All That Is Dark and Bright). 

“Canon compliant” turned out to be the hardest ingredient, both because there are so many more divergent fics and because I’m not always sure what people mean when they say it. I hope it counts for you as "canon compliant" if they’re on a case that wasn’t on the show, but that seems like a case they could have had. In other words, I hope it counts if the plot is just not obviously canon divergent or AU. Some of these fics are longer and some are shorter.

Yearning in A Casefile

Syntax6’s Casefiles. Some people might think this is a strange recommendation for your request, but Syntax6 writes Mulder and Scully doing FBI agent / X-files work very much like in canon, dealing with UST and repressed feelings of yearning … until they stop repressing. Now some of her fics are really canon divergent, plot wise, but some are less so.  These fics are definitely casefiles, so they’re about serial killers and what have you, too. (Syntax6 is a professional crime novelist now, so she’s really very good at this kind of plot. This is her site with all her fic. Two specific Syntax6 recs: Overnight Sensation - After One Son, Mulder and Scully go to Boston to chase a serial killer. Diana involved, too. This is more on the canon compliant side of the spectrum. Original Sin - More canon divergent. Scully has moved to Utah after Fight the Future, but finds something important she feels like Mulder needs to see, so she gets in touch.

The Summoning of Nikola Price -  alienqueequeg  This is a creepy horror story,  legitimately scary, in which their UST / unresolved feelings play a role in the case. I don’t know if it’s exactly what you’re looking for, but it is definitely directly about yearning in some way. 

More than a Feeling - SisterSpooky1013 Mulder and Scully go undercover in a carnival/fair. Lots of repressed yearning every which way. This is a SisterSpooky1013 banger.

Behind the Looking Glass - Wendiae This is a casefile and a Never Again post ep. Scully goes undercover. Mulder is a profiler of a serial killer, and he goes undercover eventually, too. They’re doing really angsty post-Never Again pining. There is this really electric, tense scene where undercover M&S are supposedly pretending to have a hot-and-heavy jealous lovers’ argument for a voyeur killer’s benefit – but you know, it’s really the truth, too.

Amish Country - lolabeegood Mulder and Scully go undercover in Amish country. This is UST to RST, and a classic fic beloved by many—do pay attention to the CW, as there is some sexual assault.

Yearning in Angsty or Sweet Fics That Could Happen In Canon But Did Not

Dance Without Sleeping - Lydia Bowers / wonderland / @amplifyme  This might be the fic that I feel best about meeting your criteria, although it isn’t exactly canon compliant either lol. But this is a gorgeous classic cancer arc fic that won all the fanfic awards back in the day. 

Love In All The Wrong Places - SisterSpooky1013 Well, first of all, this is just an amazing fic, but I would also say it’s about your criteria, although kind of indirectly. This is basically You’ve Got Mail but with Mulder and Scully. They both, on their own, go on to online dating chat rooms under assumed names. They start having conversations with one another, not realizing who it is. They talk to one another about their secret feelings for co-workers and… well, you can imagine.  

One Weekend In Georgetown  - LibbyT Scully tries to spend a quiet weekend at home. Mulder won’t stop calling. They’re at a time when it feels like their relationship is at a crossroads, post-Amor Fati. There is a lot of delightful conversation in this. Yearning galore.

Dividends - Suzanne Schramm Scully comes into Mulder’s motel room too wired to sleep, and they drink some motel booze. A smart variation on a very common trope–this one is an older fic. I especially enjoy Mulder’s gradual realizations here that Scully shares some of the same motivations as him. 

The Third - Susanne Barringer They’re on a stakeout having awkward conversations circa 6. It’s Scully POV, and I especially enjoy how Scully seems to misread Mulder’s reactions in this fic until it’s clear he’s being more serious than he first seems. An amazing ending.

You Send Me - spooky_nerd This is very specifically about Mulder’s yearning, but it’s great: the X-file is about the yearning. Mulder finds himself suddenly faced with randomly opening portals that take him to Scully’s apartment. This is a shorter piece, but very witty, smart, and so deeply romantic. 

Fox Mulder, Closet Romantic - SilhouetteofaCedar I feel like I have to put this on the list on the off chance you haven’t read it, even though it’s got four billion kudos and is a widely beloved fic. It's beloved for a reason. Definitely heavy on the pining Mulder, as the title suggests. 

A Few Canon-Based Post-Eps

Tiger Lily - Eleanore This is a real vintage fic, from 1996, and one reason I like it is that it is so understated and focused on character. There's just something delicate about it. It’s a post-War of the Coprophages jealousy fic written just a few weeks after the episode aired. Mulder remains smitten with Bambi, and a pining Scully provides him with advice despite her own feelings.

The sunlight that leaks out of your darkness (and into my world) - bayloriffic A post-ep for Never Again. Mulder is trying. Scully is trying. Everyone’s so full of longing.

Just the Thing - pinebluffvariant Post-ep for How The Ghosts Stole Christmas that I picked because you can practically taste Mulder’s loneliness and longing in it.

Still Life - Seek_Its_Opposite This is a Milagro post ep, more focused on Scully’s yearning, but giving us crucial insight into Mulder, too. Beautifully written.

We’re Not Here To Get Involved In Personal Problems - me me (cecilysass) This is a post-ep for X-Cops, but I think it actually fits what your request is pretty well, and it is canon compliant.